What is it about?
The research is about anergy, an immunological condition that drives leprosy to lepromatous leprosy, the malignant form of the disease. Anergy can be reversed by the use of immunomodulators such as the dialyzable leukocyte extracts from normal (healthy) donors, stopping, and probably reversing the progress of the disease.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
It is important because although the study was done in murine leprosy (a disease shearing features with human leprosy), the results are very likely to be reproduced in human leprosy. Treatment of leprosy with dialyzable leukocyte extracts (DLE) might lead to faster recovery of patients which, however, should maintain anti-leprosy therapy.
Perspectives
In endemic regions where leprosy is still endemic, administration of DLE, together with anti-leprosy therapy should be considered as an adjuvant routine treatment.
Dr Oscar Rojas-Espinosa
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Induction and treatment of anergy in murine leprosy, International Journal of Experimental Pathology, December 2014, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/iep.12108.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
